Steering-gear mechanism



1. N. KELLY. STEERING GEAR MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED APR. H, 1919.

Patented Mar. 23,1920.

2 SHEETS- SHEET l- I. N. KELLY.

STEERING GEAR MECHANISM.

v APPLICATION F|LED APR. H. 1M9. 334349 Patented Mar. 23, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JOSEPH N. KELLY, F DAYTON, OHIO.

STEERING-GEAR MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Ifatent. Patented Mar. 23, 1920.

Application filed April 14, 1919. Serial No. 289,921.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOSEPH N. KELLY, acitizen of the United States, residing at Dayton. in the county ofMontgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new mechanism of abroad utility or application,

but more especially designed-for use in conneetion with motor-drivenX'GlHClOSrJ In the ordinary or general type of auto mobile steering gearmechanism comprising worms and worm goals, the rocker shaft is attachedor made integral with the worm wheel or sector w th the result that roadshocks centering in the rocker shaft are transmitted directly to theteeth of the worm wheel or sector and thence to the threads of the worm.The natu a]. result of this is, the said worm wheel or sector and theworm wear very rapidly andobjeetionable loosenose or back-lash takesplacet in a comparatively short time, such looseness having a tendencyto increase with apparent rapidity when it once manifests itself, 9 t

This well known detrimental feature of steering gear mechanism hasresulted in i 0 many instances in manufacturers of steering gearmechanism producing a complete worm Wheel instead of a sector, and whenthe wear movedupon its axis a suflicientgextent to cause new or unwornteeth thereinqto en gage the worm. This practlce appllesyonly totheworrnwheel, the Wear of the {worm not beingsimilarly takencare of. Asa con sequence all looseness between the worm wheel and the worm due towear is not remedied by thus shifting the wheel i It is therefore theprime ObjlGCtOf the present invention to provide a steering earmechanism in the usage of which the. oregoingobjectionsare avoided. Thisavoid ance is accomplished by a steermggear con-t struction in which thecenter ofthe rocker shaft occupies a plane below the wormavheel orsector and whi v es other P l m some to be hereinafter sp e d- By this 1tenem nt" the disastrous effects to the type of steering gear, duetojroad shocks referred to above, are avo;idetl. the presentinvenentioned, wh1le they center iitthe rocker shaft, are stransnuttedtothe vdrawings which illustrate the same.

Inamore particular YGHtlOIl slmilar reference characters will worm wheelor sector at a point between the teeth thereof and the bearings thereof,with the result that the wear on the teeth of the worm wheel or sectoris if not wholly avoided. Fully realizing that wear on these parts ofsteering gear mechanism is acondition that has to be dealt with, I haveprovided a practical and eiiicient means which consists in making thethreaded portion of the worm shafton a suitable taper so that when wearheeomes apparent the threaded portion of said worm shaft may be shiftedlongitudinally to present a larger diameter thereof to the teeth of theworm wheel or sector, which may hedone repeatedly as wear takes place,without disassembling or removing the gear from its operative position.a The result is that any loosenessin the engagement betweenthe teeth ofthe worm wheel or sector and the worm may be compensated withslightcffort. a y

Having referred to the objectsand aims of my improved steering gearmechanism, reference now made to the accompanying greatly eliminatedthese d 'awings, t a

Figurel is a partial sectional side elevation of a steering gear made inaccordance with my invention, a

F'g. 2 is a cross sectioualview thereof on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.becomes too great the wheel is taken out and t Fig. 3 is a detailelevation of the means forholdmgthe control and gnition devices 1nposition in relation to the steering gear,

Fig.-l is a detail elevation of a modified construction of the wormwheel or sector and the rocker shaft. 1 i i description of the 1nserveto indicate the same parts inthe draw mgs; y a i a The gear housingwhich meloses the several movable parts is preferably made in the formshown but it may be changedtmore t oriless as conditions of manufacturemay rea Asshown t consists of an upper cylindrical portionla lowerenlarged quire.

portion anda lower extension in the form ofabeajring 3 which serves toattachgthe gear toa suitable bracket on the side frame the car(notshown.)

The said housing is inclosed on one side byarover plate -3 whichfurnishes bearings on that side for the worm wheel or 14- which enterbearings -15- which sector and the rocker shaft. The worm extend fromthe said housing, one of said 4 is suitabl tapered to compensate forbearings being in the cover plate 3. wear and occupies a position in theupper The short end of the rocker shaft 1lhas 5 cylindrical part of thehousing. It is a bearing in the lower bearing portion 70 mounted on thesteering shaft -5 by -15- of said cover plate While the longer -means ofa key 6 so that it may turn part of said rocker shaft extends throughthe with said shaft but be prevented from havgudgeon or bearing 3.projecting from ing longitudinal movement thereon. The the lower portionof the gear housing.

10 ends of saidworm abut with end thrust anti- While the worm wheel orsector -9 is '7 friction bearings 7-'T on the steering shown in Fig. 1as moving through an angle shaft, said bearings being held by upper andof about 120 the rocker shaft -11- will lowernuts8-8' which screw intothe complete a movement through an angle of opposite ends of the wormhousing l. about 60. This reduction in the motion of 15 The upper nut -8has a boss 8 the gear obviously increases the leverage 0' shown inbroken lines in Fig. 1 as extending and produces a gear more powerful ascominto the steering shaft casing 24. The pared to one in which therocker shaft, worm worm holding nuts -8- 8- are locked and worm wheelare directly connected.

' by binding screws 16' after the worm is The distribution of theseelements as dein proper position. The steering shaft 5- scribed alsorenders the gearirreversible as to projects into the lower nut 8 as isthe initial transmission of motion; a feature shown in broken lines,Fig. 1, and has a that is not only of decided advantage but aring' atthatpoint. When undue wear on also of necessity in steering gearmechanism.

' the teeth of the gear begins to manifest The shaft 17 and tube -18-extend 25 itself, the lower -nut 8f may be withthrough the steeringshaft 5 and control drawn a suitable amount and the upper nut the fueland ignition and are common to all +8'advanced in the/worm housing in asteering gear mechanism. like manner, and the binding screws 16 In Fig.3, is shown means for fastening or tightened thereby bringing inengagement locking the control tube 18. For this 30 a portion of theworm that is slightly larger purpose a boss 20 is formed on the lower Iin diameterwiththe teeth of the worm wheel worm nut-8. This boss extendsthrough or sector. The worm wheel-9 or sector a clamp'collar l9 and theboss has suitis preferablymade of drop forgin and the 'able slots-20 cuttherein, preferably desirable form is that hown in t e drawfour innumber. The said slotted boss is 35 ings. It may, however, be modifiedin any surrounded by the clamp collar 19 which manner to suitmanufacturing conditions. is tightened or released thereon by means ofAs is shown in Fig. 1, thesaid worm wheel a bolt -21- that passes thearms of said or sector has an opening -9 through the .collar. Intightening said bolt the slotted body' thereof, between the teeth' andthe boss -20- will compress against the con- 40 bearing thereof, Withinthe said opening a trol tube -18- and firmly hold the same in swivelblock 59"I is adapted'to, rotate.v its proper position.

This swivel block has such movement owing The radial lines in Fig. 1,indicate the anto its" being attached to a rocker arm 10-. gles oftravel through which the worm The said swiw'el block '9 has also a suitwheel or sectorand the rocker arm move 45 ably shaped opening 10extending ver- .from one extreme position to the other and .tically intowhichi'the end of said rocker the relative'movements of the worm wheelarm projects andin which it slides to a cerand the swivel block carriedthereby.

't'ain extent when movement is imparted .to n Fig. 4, I haveshown amodification in the-worm .wheel o'r'sector from the worm. -t ev mannerof connecting the rocker shaft 50 Therocker arm -10 isattached to thewith the ;worm wheel or sector. As there 7 rocker shaft +11 s the worm+is shown fllthef'rocker arm is of a forked or bi- '-re'volved in. eitherdirectinfrom the steer furcated form +22- which engages the ingshaft,the worm wheel or sector 9 opposite sides of the swivel block, which inI will" begin to start'o'rchangeits position, this case has asquareorrectangular part '55 the rocker arm will correspondingly move 23- thatis received by the said forked and also the rocker shaft 11. Thesteerportion of said rocker arm. v v ing arm -12- ,which maybe attachedto The gear may be changed from a right to the rocker shaft in anysatisfactory manner 7 a leftlhand drive. As shown in Fig. 1, it is alsoreceives thesame movement. Theopena right hand drive, but the housingbeing 60 ings=5131 in the sides oftheswivel-block made symmetrical it isadapted to eit her '7 +9 serve'fo r lubricating purposesand a right orleftdrlvey transposing the are otherwise a manufacturing.expedient.'worm. 4 and upper'and lower nuts' he,wor1iiwl1ecl or sector is mountcdin the -23 and. -8"-' to the opposite ends of, V h lower -'portion ofthe gear. housing The the llOllSillQ. Info'ther words" by reversing I 65base thereof tcrminatc's'in oppositetrunnions thcseqparts relative tothe houfng. I V I I have with some particularity described my inventionbut it will be understood that the instrumentalities so described may bemodified or changed without departing from the underlying principlesthereof. I therefore do not desire to be limited to thedetails ofconstruction described wherever these may be changed to meet theexpedients of manufacture or without departing from the with a taperedworm shaft, of a worm gear engaged thereby, a rock shaft, a rocker armfixed to said rock shaft, and an oscillatln member mounted in said wormgear an with which the focker arm has a slidable connection. a

3. In a steering gear, the combination with a tapered worm shaft, of aworm gear 7 engaged by said worm shaft, and a rocker shaft connected tosaid worm gear by a rocker arm and an oscillating member, the rocker armhaving a slidable connection with said oscillating member.

4:. In a steering gear, the combination with a worm shaft, of a rockershaft, and motion transmission devices inter osed between said wormshaft and the roc er shaft, said motion transmission devices including aworm gear, a swivel member carried by said worm gear, and an armextended from said rocker shaft and through said swivel member.

5. In a steering gear, the combination with a worm shaft the threads ofwhich gradually increase in diametelg ofa worm gear engaged thereby, arocker shaft, and

gear, the combination wheel.

an arm extended from said rocker shaft and slidably connected with theworm gear.

6; In a steering gear, the combination with a worm shaft the threads ofwhich gradually increase in diameter from one end tothe other, of arocker shaft, and motion transmission devices interposed between saidworm shaft and said rocker shaft, said rocker shaft: and saidtransmission devices being movable on three different axes of rotation,and one of said transmission devices having in addition thereto aslidable movement with reference to the other of said transmissiondevices.

7. In a steerlng gear, the combinat on with a jsteerlng shaft, and aworm ad]ustable thereon, said worm having its threads increased indiameter from one end to the other, a worm wheel or sector engaged bysaid worm, a rocker shaft, and a rocker arm connecting said-rocker shaftwith said worm wheel through a swivel connection with said 8. In asteering gear, the combination with a steering shaft, a worm mountedthereon the threads of which are increased in diameter gradually fromone end to the other,

means engaging the ends of said worm for adjusting it longitudinally andholding it in its adjusted positions, a worm wheel or sector engaged bysaid worm, a swivel piece mounted in said worm wheel, a rocker shaft,and a rocker arm connecting said rocker shaft with said swivel piece.

9. In a steering gear, the combination with a steering shaft, and a wormmounted thereon the threads of which gradually increase in diameter fromone end to the other, a worm wheel or sector driven from said worm, an

oscillating member carried by said worm wheel or sector, a rocker shaft,and a rocker arm extending from said rocker shaft and having a slidableconnection with said oscillating member. s y

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOSEPH N. KELLY.

